Chicago City Wire

A press conference held yesterday in Chicago brought together local activists and concerned residents who are vehemently opposing the planned housing of over three hundred migrants at the closed St. Bartholomew School in the city's 30th Ward.

The gathering, spearheaded by community activist Pat Gibbons, saw passionate pleas for the repeal of the sanctuary city ordinance.

“Who is suffering at the end of the day?” He asked. “The taxpayers, the blue collar workers with the taxes being raised through the roof. With the crime that is through the roof. Our local politicians should think about their own constituents before they take care of migrants coming from other countries that they simply don't know where they are coming from.”

Gibbons, addressing the crowd, expressed the urgent need for repealing the sanctuary city ordinance, arguing that the local government should prioritize the needs of its own constituents before extending assistance to migrants.

"The fact is, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the blue-collar worker is nonexistent," Gibbons stated.

Gibbons highlighted the alarming homelessness rate, particularly among children, in Chicago and criticized the lack of support for the city's existing homeless population.

“We have homeless that are not taken care of, sleeping under viaducts, sleeping on CTA buses, trains,” Gibbons said.

"It's horrible. What's going on? We have a 23% homeless rate among children in the city of Chicago. This is before over 20,000 migrants came into the city of Chicago. The fact is, our politicians, local politicians have no clue what they're doing. They have no clue what they're doing. They have to take care of their own constituents, their own people before you take care of anybody from the outside.”

Gibbons raised concerns about the potential health risks associated with the influx of migrants, citing cases of scabies and measles in police districts where illegal immigrants have been sheltering.  

He stressed the importance of a thorough vetting process and appropriate background checks for individuals entering the city.

“The fact is,Venezuela is emptying the jails, crossing the southern border illegally and coming into Chicago,” he said.

“We are a loving people. At the end of the day, we accept all people. But the neighborhood, the community feels unsafe because we simply do not know who they are. But we know who our children are.”

Local resident Wally Briscoe, who recently retired, echoed similar sentiments, expressing concern about the safety of the community and the lack of notice regarding the housing plans for migrants at St. Bartholomew.

Briscoe, a long-time resident, emphasized the need to prioritize the safety of existing residents, especially in a neighborhood known for its sense of security.

“I just paid for my house. I enjoy sitting on my front porch,” he said. “This is a safe community, we don't need any new strangers walking around here. My sisters moved out to the suburbs because of crime, I have to beg them to come into the city and spend time with me here in Chicago. And I think it is just kind of a crime that this change is going to happen at St. Bart's. I just wish that we'd had notice things were going in this direction and I hope things can get worked out.”

Disabled veteran Gage Anthony added a different perspective, asserting that the focus should be on addressing internal issues within the country. He criticized the division among citizens and the challenges faced by the nation, emphasizing the need for unity.

“I'm sorry. People get upset. I have been protesting my local alderperson Maria Hadden. It is bad. The migrants are terrible. Now,no one is going to save us. If we were to have anything happen to us. We need to focus on our country itself. There is a war going on within the citizens of this country, we are too divided,” Anthony said.  

Sharon Avila, a resident living near the site where the illegal immigrants will be housed, expressed mixed feelings. While recognizing the importance of diversity, she admitted feeling uneasy about potential safety concerns, especially as a woman living alone.

“I think I would say that I am for us helping with whatever facilities we have. But I'm a little bit nervous about the fact I can't walk out on the road. I guess it makes me it does make me feel a little uncomfortable,” she said,

Avila expressed hope for a smooth transition and raised questions about security measures.

To conclude the press conference, Gibbons announced plans to file an injunction in Roseland and indicated that a similar action would be considered in the St. Bartholomew case. He criticized the lack of transparency from local officials, calling for community engagement and input through town hall meetings before making such impactful decisions.

“They didn't do anything as far as talking to the constituents and there's a huge issue of that. There's no transparency. There's no transparency with the mayor's office. There's no transparency with the local alderpeople,” Gibbons said.  

“And that's why people feel very bad about it. You should talk to the voters before you do anything, you shouldn't make moves all the sudden in the community. Now, people are upset by that. There should be at least a meeting, a town hall meeting, talk it over. And then if most of the community doesn't want it and then you don't do it. Simple as that.”

“If you don't want to be elected official, then don't be an elected official. Because at the end of the day, we all select who we want to be in office. You're not the boss of us we're the boss of you who are supposed to serve the people at the end of the day.”

The relocation of the illegal immigrants to St. Bartholomew comes in the wake of significant challenges to other proposed sites.

Construction on a winterized “Johnsonville” tent in Brighton Park was recently stopped after the site was found to contain toxins.

An Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) review found insufficient soil sampling and remediation, leading Governor JB Pritzker's office to declare the site unsafe.

In that instance, Pritzker’s spokesperson emphasized the state's unwillingness to place individuals in an environment with unknown safety risks.

Over 24,000 migrants have landed in Chicago over the past year as discussions on handling the southern U.S. border influx have devolved into name calling.

Mayor Brandon Johnson has accused conservatives of using people as political tools and linked them to right-wing extremism, comparing it to the Capitol storming and refusal to accept Civil War results.

In response, Illinois Republicans challenged Johnson's historical understanding, emphasizing the Republican Party's role in ending slavery and government bureaucracy.

Discussion in the City Council chambers regarding placing a referendum on the March ballot to remove the city's "Sanctuary City" status amid the influx of illegal immigrants devolved into a show of power.

Opponents claimed that Democrats in Springfield pressured Chicago Aldermen to prevent the meeting and that socialists used various tactics, even shutting off the lights in the Council Chamber, to delay proceedings.

The chaotic scene included accusations, debates about quorums, and disagreements about whether citizens should have the right to vote on the city's sanctuary city status.

Johnson’s former floor leader Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa resigned after being accused of misbehavior, including physically and verbally harassing Alderman Emma Mitts, the council’s longest serving black member, during a City Council meeting.

The Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus condemned Ramirez-Rosa's actions, describing them as unprofessional and unbecoming of his role, and demanded his resignation along with a public apology to Ald. Mitts and a commitment to improve his behavior.